Lee Ki-hyuk and Yang Min-hyuk are very active... Korean soccer wins gold medal at Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games

(Toyota [Japan] = Yonhap News) Reporter Choi Song-ah = Lee Ki-hyeok (Gangwon), who captained the men's soccer team at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games and took center stage both on and off the field, was thrilled, saying, "Luck is with me," as he won the Asian Games gold medal after participating in the World Cup.

Lee Ki-hyuk met with reporters after the Asian Games final against Japan held at Toyota Stadium in Aichi Prefecture, Japan on the 3rd and said, "I am so moved that I can't express it in words because I was able to win such a meaningful gold medal, and honestly, it brings tears to my eyes," and added, "I am really grateful to the players, managers, and coaches."

Lee Ki-hyuk, who participated as one of the wild cards (players over 24 years old) of the U-23 national team that participated in this tournament, was expected to play an active role as a midfield commander, but missed the semifinal match against China on the 30th of last month due to a sudden foot infection.

It was unclear whether he would participate in the finals, but he suddenly started against Japan that day and played until the 12th minute of the second half, helping Korea win 1-0 and win the gold medal.

Lee Ki-hyuk said that he had cellulitis in his feet and explained, "I wondered if I could run because the swelling was so bad."

At the same time, he said, "I felt a sense of responsibility as the captain, and I felt very sorry for the players during the semifinals. I thought that if I somehow expressed my earnestness, it would be good for the players, so I made up my mind and prepared by doing everything I could, such as antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs."

Lee Ki-hyuk continued, "I thought the weight of the captaincy was too heavy, but I was able to play my role because there was a manager and coaches who believed in me. Everyone was earnest and desperate, so I tried to help by playing more earnestly in order to continue to inspire that spirit."

Lee Ki-hyuk, who was considered the biggest surprise selection in the final entry for this year's North and Central America World Cup, has also left his mark as the Asian Games' winning captain and has become an indispensable name in Korean soccer.

He said, "It really seems like a year full of luck. I feel like I'm getting all the luck I can, but I don't want to waste the opportunity I worked so hard to get. I want to hold on tight," and pledged, "I'll enjoy it until tomorrow and work hard to show a good performance for my team."

The gold medal was also special for Yang Min-hyuk (Westerlo), who assisted Uhm Seong (Swansea City)'s 'thousand-gold winning goal' with a wonderful cross that day.

Having been on loan at Tottenham in the English Premier League (EPL) without being able to make it to the first team, he had to suffer because he did not perform as well as expected in this tournament, but in the final, he helped Uhm Seong's goal with a bold dribble breakthrough, duel, and a tenacious cross.

Yang Min-hyuk was happy, saying, "I prepared well to repay the coach for always believing in me and trusting me as a starter in the finals. I heard many people on the team say, 'I have a good feeling today' and 'I think I'll do one,' so I wanted to respond, and it turned out well."

He confided, "I was a bit frustrated and had lost a lot of confidence," and added, "I'm happy that Ji-sung scored a goal and the team won because I did something like this. It was an opportunity for me to grow further and gain confidence."

Yang Min-hyuk, who received military service benefits with this gold medal and was able to continue his challenge in Europe more freely, honestly revealed that that was his motivation.

He said, "The guys on the team who had already served in the military talked a lot about the military, and related videos were posted in the group chat room, so it was very stimulating. I think I overcame it well and won because I was desperate. Now, for the development of Korean soccer, I will survive in Europe for a long time and show a lot of good soccer."